The Noble Girl Is Beautiful

, it's an okay historical novel, but it's difficult to define. It isn't quite a romance, nor an adventure, nor a political drama. By the end, I found myself asking, what was the point of this novel? It feels like a blend of biographical and slice-of-life genres, yet I never truly got to know or care about the protagonist.

Summary:
The eldest legitimate daughter of a duke, our main character (MC) is known throughout the capital as a noble, proper, and gentle young lady. Despite her privileged status, she feels isolated and trapped by her family's lofty expectations. Her aunt is a noble consort in the palace, her father wields military power as a duke, her stepmother fears offending her due to her status, and her younger sisters respect her. Her family and her consort aunt (the 4th prince's adoptive mother) want her to marry the 4th prince, the leading candidate for the crown prince. To facilitate this, they establish a schoolroom and invite King Ji (the emperor's younger brother) to teach the duke's children and the 4th prince.

As time passes, the MC notices that the 4th prince shows no interest in her, but rather gravitates towards one of her sisters. Secretly relieved, she hopes this will free her from her preordained fate. Meanwhile, King Ji is particularly attentive and strict with her, sparking a mutual attraction despite their suspicions and the constraints of their situation.

Spoiler
King Ji initially teases and baits her, even threatening her for knowing too much about his plans. Yet, he eventually falls in love with her. She tries to ignore him but finds herself continually drawn to him, as he allows her to drop her façade of politeness and perfection. She ultimately decides to wait for him and trust her feelings, especially after he sabotages her other marriage prospects. Eventually, he usurps the throne, cripples the crown prince, names himself regent, and marries the MC, spoiling her rotten. The end.

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this novel. Kudos to the author for creating teenage characters who act their age for once. The MC and her sisters are genuinely childish and immature in their behavior and outlook. The MC tries to maintain her steady and elegant demeanor, but it takes a toll on her.

This is why I struggle to classify this as a romance novel. Unlike the usual setup (with a transmigrated or reborn heroine, essentially an adult in a teenager's body), the MC is a true 14-year-old, both in age and mentality. In contrast, the male lead (ML) is 24, more experienced, and has authority over her as her teacher. While the age difference might not be historically inaccurate, it feels uncomfortable, as it seems like he's grooming and manipulating her.

Spoiler
Initially, the ML is intimidating and calculating, clearly stating his intention to use her for her family's power and ruining her other marriage prospects. As the novel progresses (around 40+ chapters), the author seems to realize that this isn't very "romantic" and tries to soften the ML's image by having the MC vent to him about her lack of freedom and choices. While he supposedly listens, we don't see a genuine change, as the MC decides to follow her heart and accept him almost immediately. The story concludes with a happy ending where the ML goes out of character, shedding his cold and scheming persona to spoil the MC.

The problem is that, beyond their mysterious falling in love, the characters lack depth and substance. We don't learn about their goals, passions, or regrets. The leads aren't partners, allies, or friends. The MC is so passive it's boring—she doesn't dare to desire anything since her family dictates her future—and the ML, supposedly a genius schemer, lacks consistency and seems aimless after achieving his goal.

There's nothing inherently wrong with this novel, but when I finished it, I was left thinking: that's it?

Honestly, I really loved this novel.

In the beginning, the plot is full of allusions and foreshadowing that at times made my stomach drop. The writing itself is very beautiful, and the way the author conveyed the main character's feelings to us, the readers, was lovely. However, I do feel the writing became a bit dull towards the end.

I will say that because of the tone of the novel and the writing style, from the beginning to the middle, I had different expectations for how the plot would progress. I was anticipating tragedy, twists, and heartbreak, but I was still satisfied with how the novel unfolded.

Additionally, as one reviewer mentioned, the sisterhood in this novel is fantastic. Given that many historical novels often pit girls against each other, I expected the sisterly relationships to deteriorate, but to my surprise, they did not.

I recommend it because it's a well-rounded novel in terms of characters, plot, and a happy ending for almost everyone, except maybe two.

Spoiler:
The "emperor" definitely deserved his fate due to his schemes and insincere feelings. The other character who didn't quite get a happy ending was Concubine Shen. However, I like to think that she might be content with her situation due to her modern mindset.

Thank you to the translator for bringing this novel to us!

This novel doesn’t deserve these low ratings. I understand that it might not appeal to everyone, and that’s perfectly fine!

It’s a laid-back, slice-of-life kind of novel. If you’re looking for drama, political intrigue, or complex schemes, you should probably look elsewhere. This novel isn’t designed for that. Go in with no expectations, and you’ll likely appreciate its unique qualities.

Shen Yourong, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Qi, is the epitome of a model woman in the capital. She is noble, rule-abiding, and almost too perfect. However, we get to see her inner world, which is much like any other teenage girl’s, but with a touch more maturity and cleverness.

Ji Zhuo, the brother of the current emperor and Prince Duan, is well-versed in classics and literature, and he comes across as gentle and amiable. Yet, we also see his cunning and ruthless side.

These two seemingly two-faced individuals somehow find themselves attracted to each other and fall in love. Don’t expect a cloyingly sweet love story or fluff here. The romance reminds me of the one in "Concubine's Daughter Minglan."

Be forewarned, though—the leads have a significant age gap, and the female lead is underage. If this makes you uncomfortable, I’d suggest skipping this novel. For me, the male lead’s treatment of the female lead never felt inappropriate.

One of the best parts of the novel is the sisterly bond between the Shen sisters. They experience moments of jealousy, but they also recognize that everyone has their own struggles and destinies. Particularly, Shen Qingyan, the transmigrator, deserves a hug. She deserved someone like Yao Jian instead of the fake righteous Fourth Prince.

Shen Shuo is also a great brother, and a shoutout to Shen Qingfeng as well.

If there’s one thing I didn’t like about the novel, it’s the ending.

**Spoiler**

I would have preferred if the male lead realized his ambitions at the end. No regent in history has ever had a good ending, and he had all the necessary tools to become the emperor. Anyway, that’s just my take on this novel.

I just wanted to clarify something in the description, as it can be a bit misleading. (I don't blame the translator; they translated it as it was written.) The main character (MC) and the Fourth Prince are not actually related. The Fourth Prince's stepmother is the Empress, who is also the MC's aunt. Ji Zhuo, the male lead (ML), is the Fourth Prince's uncle.

The author introduces the MC when she is 14 years old. The Fourth Prince is around 16, and the ML is 24.

Sure, here is the rewritten content:

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Nice novel.

Although the Female Lead (FL) and her brother lost their mother, they were still able to live a harmonious life with their stepfamilies.

The FL and her stepsisters grew up in a well-bonded family, which is a healthy example.

The Male Lead (ML) was initially a scammer who pursued the FL for personal gain. However, he later changed his mind and gave up the throne for a more enjoyable life.

I just don't like the last chapter about their daughter. A six-year-old girl with such ambition to become a female emperor seems out of place.

Really can't understand why it ends like this.

A fantastic novel! I appreciated the realistic progression of the story, and the best part was the relationships within the Shen family, especially between the sisters. It's rare to find a Chinese novel where female characters get along so well and have such well-written personalities and strong development. I also enjoyed the dynamic with the big brother and the romantic pairing. Despite the age gap and the power difference, I think they make a convincing couple.

I agree with Naimena's review. I've read many slice-of-life novels and actually love the genre. However, I just couldn't understand why this one was written the way it is. It has so much potential, but it feels like everything is described superficially and then quickly brushed aside. By the time I reached the end, it felt like a complete waste of my time. "That's it?" perfectly captures my feelings after finishing this book. I no longer want to continue.

Done reading and it was good, I love how the couple came from being poor to rich. It's so fun how MC think of ways to earn money until they became nouveau rich. I wish the time together of the couple protagonist was a bit longer in the end plus their twins, some scenes and arcs could actually be explore some more. I wouldn't mind reading a hundred chapters more of this. Their love and tacit understanding made them be on top of my bl couple list 😄. It's rare to have a loving ML that's full of doting towards MC in a world full of domineering ML's lol